Women and the Experience of Serious Mental Illness and Sexual Objectification: Multicultural Feminist Theoretical Frameworks and Therapy Recommendations

As Objectification Theory (Frederickson & Roberts, 1997) has advanced, the implications of the experience of sexual objectification of women have increasingly been identified. Objectification Theory provides a feminist theoretical framework for understanding the unique experiences of women who live in a culture that objectifies and sexualizes their bodies. This theory has now been linked to mental health problems such as depression, eating disorders, body shame, substance abuse, and sexual dysfunction (for a review, see Moradi & Huang, 2008). However, the intersections of sexual objectification and serious mental illness among women have not been sufficiently researched. This article will explore the intersections of the experience of sexual objectification and serious mental illness among women from a Multicultural Feminist Therapy framework, offering implications and recommendations for the therapeutic context.